Fire-escape.



w. H. TIBBALS.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPucATioN FILED ocT. 1. 1913.

Patented July 11, 1916.

lIllli) NHIHIIIH WALTER I-I. TIBBALS, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July lll, 19196.

Application led October 1, 1913. Serial No. 792,901.

To all u2/wm t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER I-I.' TIBBALs, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire- Escapes, of which the following, taken in yconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in portable lire escapes of the centrifugal-brake type adapted to be secured or otherwise supported. upon a casing, sills or walls of hotels, schools, factories and other buildings in proximity to the windows, doors or exits for use by the occupants as a means of escape incase of fire. It is evident, however, that the same device may be used for lowering other objects from the upper stories of the same building.

I am aware that numerous devices for this purpose have heretofore been proposed but so far as I have been able to discover none of them have gone into extensive use which in all probability is due to certain structural deficiencies which would render them unsafe or at least unreliable or difficult of adjustment and manipulation.

My object, therefore, is to produce a simple, light and comparatively inexpensive fire escape which may be conveniently carried in a traveling bag and readily attached to any available support by the o'ccupant of a room ready for use or may be permanently installed in any room within a compact space without disfiguring the interior finish or deteriorating fro-m long periods of disuse. In other words, I have sought to produce a commercially practicable device which is always ready for safe and repeated use by the occupants of the upper stories of a burning building in case of fire by simply grasping or attaching either end of the cable to the body and then stepping from the window or other exit to the exterior of the building.

Another Objectis to render the descent uniformly steady but at sufeient speed to allow the occupant to reach a safe landing from any height in a comparatively short time and, at the same time, returning the other end of the cable to the same height ready for use by another occupant of the building.

A further object is to apply the braking resistance or load in a direct line with the downward draft or power exerted on the cable so as to avoid any possibility of torsional strains or binding of any part of the mechanism.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the apparatus will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of my improved fire escape. Fig. 2 is an enlarged face view of the same device except that one-half of the case section is removed to disclose the interior mechanism. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line Sw, Fig. 1. Fig. l is a transverse sectional view taken on line i-Jl, Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the detached rotary actuator for the centrifugal weights or brake shoes. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the brake shoes.

I have endeavored to produce a device of this character with as few parts as possible and to enable such parts to be assembled with the expenditure of a minimum degree of time and labor not only for the purpose of reducing the cost of manufacture but more especially to increase the safety and durability of the device.

To this end, the apparatus consists of an inclosing case composed of two cup-shaped sections -1- and -2- of similar form 1and size having their open sides secured together face to face by suitable fastening means as clamping bolts -3- so as to form a substantially airand water-tight cham ber -4- for receiving a revoluble cable'- supporting sheave 5, a brake drum -6- and two or more brake shoes -7 arranged so as to counterbalance each other and adapted to be rotated at comparatively high speed as compared with thatV of the preferably provided at one side, usually the top, with a substantially semicircular offset -8- of just suflicient diameter to receive the upper half of the brake arm -6,

thereby providing for the projection of the opposite half of the brake drum into the main circular body of the case in alinement with the sheave and preferably between the peripheral flanges thereof as will be hereinafter more fully explained. The opposite or lowerside of the casing is provided l withV separate guide openings -9 arranged side by side in close juxtaposition for guiding the opposite sides of a cable l0- which is vlooped around the grooved periphery of the sheave or pulley -5-, the cable guides -9- serving to maintain a maximum degree of lap of the cable upon saidV pulley so as to assure a positive fric- `tional grip and prevent slipping of the cable on the pulley when the device is in use, the guide openings being formed ,in the meeting faces of both case sections.

The case section lmay be termed the back or rear section, the rear face being substantially flat and its periphery provided with a plurality of, in this instance three,

radially projecting apertured lugs or ears -11- for receiving bolts or screws by which thejentire apparatus may be fastened to a casing, sill or other part of the building in proximity to the window, door or other exit, or the upper lug or ear -11- may be suspended from a hook or other available support as the only means of carrying the entire apparatus. The opposite or Vfront section-2- may be termed a cap7 or cover for the interior mechanism andis removably securedto the section -1- b 4providing the meeting edges of both sections with radially projecting apertured ears or lugs 12- through which the clamping bolts --3 are passed and aside from the lugs or ears -11-, this front section or cap is of substantially the same form and size as the rear section, thereby bringing the meeting faces or edges of the joint sections substantially midway between the front and rear faces of the case and in the medial plane of the sheave -5- and brake drum -6-. Either or both case sections -1- and-2- may be made of sheet or cast metal but in either case will be made as thin as may be consistent with the durability and strength so as to reduce the size and weight as much as possible, said sections being provided with bearings '13- and -14- for receiving the ends of transversely extending shafts -l5- and -l6-. f

The sheave -5- is mounted upon the shaft l5- for rotation within the case and is provided with a peripheral groove -17- formed by opposite outwardly flaring flanges 1S- to receive the cable -10- and cause the latter to wedge tightly therein with suiicient friction to positively rotate the sheave when either end of the cable is drawn outwardly under a load appliedthereto without liability of slipping, this frictional grip being further assured by the maximum degree of lap of the cable on the groove or on the periphery of the pulley caused by passing the ends of the cable through the juxtaposed guides -9- in the bottom of the casing and through which the opposite sides of the cable render when the device is in operation. The flanges -18- are circular and of equal diameter considerably greater than that of the groove in which the cable is seated and are provided with peripheral gear teeth -19- forming a pair of gears at opposite sides of the medial line of the groove -17- and of relatively large diameter as compared with that of the groove.

In order that the sheave may be given the desired strength and durability and at the same time be economically manufactured, it is preferably composed of opposite similar sections or disks of sheet metal of the same form adapted to be pressed or stamped by the same dies and afterward electrically welded at their points of contact as -20-, forming the base of the groove -l7, thereby producing a light unitary structure of great strength and durability particularly when made of sheet metal. The upper shaft -16- is provided with a pinion -21- of relatively small diameter as ,compared with that of the gears -19- and of sufficient length to extend across the entire face of the ysheave for engagement with the teeth of said gears which together with the pinion constitutes a part of the means for transmitting motion from the sheave to the brake shoes Keyed to the shaft -16- or rather to the pinion -21- is a star-wheel actuator -22- (shown more clearly in Fig. 5), consisting of a hollow central hub having internal teeth tightly fitting upon the peripheralteeth of the pinion to lock these parts against relative rotation or rather to cause the actuator to rotate with said pinion, said actuator being provided with a plurality of, in this instance four, radial arms -23- which are fitted loosely in corresponding radial recesses -Qtin the brake shoes -7- and preferably lin the ends thereof particularly when a corresponding number of brake shoes are employed as shown in Fig. 2.

rl`he brake drum -6 is circular and cupshaped and may be made either of sheet or cast metal of sufficient diameter to be easily inserted in the upper portion of the chamber llwithin the semi-circular offset -8- and is preferably provided with diametrically opposite radially projecting lugs or ears -25- fitting into corresponding recesses in the meeting faces of the sections 1 and 2- and held in place by said sections and by the same clamping bolts as -3- by which the sections are clamped to each other so that when the bolts 3 are removed to permit the removal of the cap or front sections -2--, the drum may be readily withdrawn from its operative position if desired or the cap may be removed without displacing any of the interior mechan ism.

l have shown a series of, in this instance four, brake shoes of substantially the same form and size arranged within and concentric with the drum 6- with just sufficient clearance between their peripheries and the inner braking surface of the drum to allow them to be easily placed in operative position with their ends in suflicient close proximity to prevent the shoes from undue inward movement. The front side of the brake drum is open to receive the shoes but the back side is provided with an inwardly projecting fiange -2' forming a back rest for the shoes to additionally hold them in operative relation within the drum and around the pinion. l

The recesses 24fare preferably formed in the front faces of the brake shoes -7- to allow the actuatorl -22- to be placed in operative position from the front side of the case after the brake shoes are properly adjusted, the connection between the actuator and brake shoes being loose so as to allow free centrifugal action of the brake shoes against the brake drum when rotated by the actuator -22-- This actuator is also preferably made of sheet metal, preferably of steel for lightness and durability, but the brake shoes are preferably made of bronze or some equivalent durable material which will afford the most efficient braking action with the brake drum and at the same time reduce the liability of corrosion or setting of the parts one upon the other after long periods of disuse to which the apparatus may be subjected.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that the braking surface of the brake drum and also the brake shoes are located in a plane coincident with the medial plane of the sheave or rather in direct alinement with the groove and, therefore, the resistance of the brake shoes when centrifugally operated against the brake drum by the rotation of the sheave through the medium of the cable is in direct alinement with the line of draft of the cable or power which is applied thereto, thereby bringing the load and power in one and the same straight line and also in the same flat plane to reduce as far as possible any liability of torsional strains or binding which might interfere with the free operation of the device.

By forming the gears directly upon and integral with the opposite flanges of the sheave, I am able to bring the greater portion of the lower half of the brake drum and brake shoes together with the actuator wholly within the periphery and between the fianges of the sheaves, thereby materially reducing not only the diameter but also the depth from front to rear of the entire apparatus which is symmetrical in form and has its front and rear sides substantially flat and parallel so that the apparatus may be comparatively thin and flat and capable of being placed in compact space in an ordinary traveling bag with the cable connected therein and also coiled in a relatively small space but of sufficient length to carry the occupant several stories in height.

rlhe cable is preferably made of woven or stranded wire and of relatively small diameter but is covered by a fire-proof fabric of known construction capable of resisting such heat as would naturally result from a fire in a building and thus permitting the use of the fire escape for a considerable period of time even when the cables are obliged-to pass through flame. Another advantage is that as one occupant is descending with one side of the cable, the other side is ascending to be used by another occupant on the floor at which the apparatus is located or from any fioor below providing the ascending end of the cable is within his reach. It is expected, however, that all rooms on vall floors will be equipped with these fire escapes and that it will only be necessary for the occupants of a floor to use the apparatus on that particular ioor, the cables being usually made of a length so that when one end of one side is on the ground or other landing or in proximity thereto, the other end of the cable will be elevated to a point within easy reaching distance with the floor of the room in which the fire escape is fastened. Any suitable form of body loops or other receptacles may site outwardly projecting flanges provided with gear teeth on their peripheries, a cable frictionally engaged in the groove of the sheave or pulley, a pinionmeshing With the toothed flanges of the sheave, a brake drum concentric with the pinion and having a portion thereof projecting between said anges of the sheave, and movable braking means' actuated by the pinion when rotated 15 'to engage the brake-drum.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of September, 1913.

WALTER H. TIBBALS. Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, EVA E. GREENLEAF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D.4 G. 

